[Human papillomavirus infections of the cervix uteri. II. Diagnosis, terminology, clinical significance of the diagnosis].

Cervical HPV infection may be diagnosed by colposcopy, cytology, histology and DNA hybridization. Each of these techniques alone may result in the detection of no more than 70% of the cases which are found by combining all methods. Typical cytological and histological findings are illustrated. A morphological continuum exists between HPV associated epithelial atypias (VAE), dysplasias and carcinomata in situ. The higher the grade of dysplasia, the lower the rate of cytological VAE. HPV types 16/18 are more frequently found in severe rather than in mild dysplasias. The use of hybridization techniques in mass screening programs appears premature, since the natural history of the infection is unknown. Microscopic grading of epithelial dysplasia remains the basis for patient care.